Increasingly, arrays of small volume polymer matrices are of interest to researchers in fields such as analytical chemistry and molecular biology. These small volume polymer matrices can be used to capture analytes and perform analysis in dilute systems or can be used to perform analysis of multiple analytes simultaneously. In particular, these polymer matrix arrays can be useful for genetic sequencing techniques.
Older techniques of genetic sequencing, such as Sanger sequencing, have proven expensive and time consuming. More recently, bead arrays have been explored for fluorescent-based sequencing techniques. However, such techniques suffer from difficulties associated with capturing target polynucleotides to be sequenced and retaining such target polynucleotides within a resolvable reaction volume during sequencing. Further, practitioners report difficulties associated with preparation of the beads and bead arrays.